I have a confession to make. I’m in love with website usability, even as much as or more than I am with good web design, not that usability and design are in opposition to one another.
Usability and Coffee — A Taste Experience
It was the spring of 2006. I had always enjoyed my coffee with flavor, half-and-half, and 2 teaspoons of sugar, or some equivalent thereof. My friend, who worked for “a coffee company” gave me a coffee and dessert pairing taste experience. It was my first time with French pressed coffee — black. I was not uber-excited, but since it was free, why not. 
Your taste for a beloved item can change. This also has happened to me with website usability.
As a Web strategist, I often ask my clients a question before we begin talking in-depth about their website. “What are your expectations for your new website?” The answer typically comes in one of two variations — (1) I just want my design to sizzle, jump out at me, make a statement! — (2) I want it to be easy to use and navigate. Usually their answers contain some frustration with their current situation.
What’s ironic to me about these responses, is that answer (1) typically comes from clients who think they’re paying enough to warrant a great design. (Maybe good usability is a given to them) On the other side, answer (2) is given almost to say, I know that I can’t afford good design, so just give my site a fair dose of usability, since usability is cheaper than good design.
Two websites, lots of love, different results
Consider two sites today: Squaredeye.com & Starbucks.com. I know some of the general specs on what it took time-wise to build squaredeye.com. Let’s just say that site felt some lovin’ for a while. However, I can almost promise you Starbucks.com cost more to build than SquaredEye.com. Sure, there are unknown variables we can’t know that would affect price.
It would be one thing to just talk about these sites and provide screenshots. If I put tons of screens on this post, you’d think the two sites were equal in quality. While they have different design approaches, you wouldn’t notice the real difference if you merely SAW them.
Understand this: You can SEE a site and you can USE a site. A sizzling design does not guarantee Usability. (I would argue that Good design = Usability.) Back to the title of this post, people have long said, “Seeing is believing.” OK. Fine. Have it your way. But if Seeing drives believing, then Using drives passion.
Final Thoughts
It’s not that Starbucks’ site is bad. But it doesn’t inspire me. It doesn’t drive me to do anything. It doesn’t make me curious to explore. SquaredEye.com evokes these responses within me. Call me weird. I don’t care.
If you want a lot of front-end hype and excitement, build a site with a killer, creative design. If you want sustained, passionate user-interaction and response, love your site enough to give it usability. Design can be all about you! Usability is all about your users. (That’s why they’re called users. Give them what they want!)
To the makers of SquaredEye.com, thank you for inspiring us web users who get excited about the little things in life. You have made us happy!
Explore SquaredEye.com! Have a whale of a time!
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This post was written here.
Great post. I definitely see…I mean “used” the difference.